Assets Ref: AC To Resume Hearing Against Dar Tomorrow

A reference against Ishaq Dar was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case. The AC judge Judge Mohammad Bashir will resume the hearing.Earlier on February 23, the court adjourned hearing of NAB reference against Ishaq Dar till Feb 26.

National Accountability Bureau on Friday failed to submit interim reference against former Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in assets beyond known income case in the accountability court Islamabad.

The NAB authorities were unable to submit interim reference against Dar in the accountability court and cited the reason that the reference could not be submitted due to a reference against Sharif family that day.

“The interim reference against Dar is ready and has also been assented by the competent authority,” NAB Prosecutor Imran Shafique said adding that they would submit the interim reference by Monday.

The prosecutor’s witness also recorded his statement before the court.

National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor in the corruption reference against former finance minister Ishaq Dar informed the court that the bureau will be filing supplementary references against the accused on Monday.The prosecutor informed the bench that approvals to file supplementary references against Dar had been given.

Earlier, the prosecution witness Inaamul Haq recorded his statement before the court while property documents for Dar’s wife and son Ali Dar were also furnished before the court.

NAB has sought additional time to record the statement of the investigation officer (IO).

Two prosecution witnesses were expected to record their statements in the accountability court hearing the corruption reference.

The court later postponed the hearing till 26 February.

Dar, a close aide of Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif, is accused of possessing assets disproportionate to his declared sources of income. A reference against him was filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in light of the Supreme Court’s July 28 verdict in the Panama Papers case.In the last hearing, on February 14, NAB had informed the accountability court that it planned to file a supplementary reference in the case.

The prosecution had also pleaded the court to issue warrants for the production of its last witness, Inamul Haq, as he had once again failed to appear in court to record his statement.The court had not issued the warrants but gave the last warning to Haq to appear in court and adjourned the hearing.

An appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court on February 17 had ruled in Dar’s favour after his nomination papers were rejected by a returning officer.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had submitted court documents before the returning officer stating that Dar was a court absconder in a corruption reference underway in the Islamabad accountability court.

Dar had filed nomination papers for a technocrat seat in the Senate from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz for the elections, scheduled for March 3.

During the case’s hearing on February 12, FIA Additional Director Wajid Zia, who headed the Panama case Joint Investigation Team (JIT), had appeared before the court. Zia had presented the volume one and nine of the JIT report and also recorded his statement.

Zia had also informed the court of the work of the JIT related to the former finance minister, stating that Dar’s assets were shown to be Rs9.1 million according to his wealth statement in 1991 and Rs831.6 million in the 2008-09 statement. He had added Dar failed to prove the enormous growth in his assets before the JIT.

Dar has been a no-show in the proceedings after he departed for London in October last year seeking medical treatment. He has since been declared a proclaimed offender.